First edition, in the original German, of an extensive, influential and extremely well illustrated treatise on fortification, by the Brandenburg fortifications engineer Matthias Dögen (1605/06-1672) who worked in service of the Dutch stadholder and Prince of Orange, Frederik Hendrik van Nassau (1584-1647) during the Eighty Years' War. The first half of the main text covers fortifications in regular shapes and the second half irregular shapes, while a shorter second part covers defensive and especially offensive tactics in siege warfare. Many of the plates show fortifications of cities in the Low Countries built following the newly developed Dutch methods, including Amsterdam, Breda and Ostend, but fortifications following the more traditional European and Ottoman methods are also included, such as Le Havre and Saint Malo.With early owners' inscriptions. Lacking 1 unnumbered double-page plate (Nova Palma), and with another detached. For some reason, the Nova Palma plate is often lacking. With a water stain at the foot of the gutter and in the first half of the book also on the fore-edge, mostly confined to the margins. A few worm holes, occasionally slightly affecting the image. The paste used to mount the plates has slightly browned some plates along the central fold. Most plates nevertheless remain in good condition. The vellum has torn where the supports were laced through the joints, and the binding shows some other tears and stains, but is still firm. A seminal work that spread Dutch advances in fortification and siege warfare internationally.Jähns I, 125; Sloos, Warfare 8029; STCN (4 copies); VD17, 23:321860G (8 copies).